About Jim Pirkle

Jim Pirkle, MD, PhD, has spent more than 50 years in medical and biochemical sciences focusing on laboratory science that improves the diagnosis and prevention of disease and harmful exposures. A clinical pathologist with a PhD in physical chemistry, Dr. Pirkle has directed 25 reference and research laboratories, developing and applying clinical laboratory methods and standardizing clinical measurements. During his career in public health, he has authored or coauthored more than 150 publications in peer-reviewed, scientific journals focusing on the diagnosis and prevention of disease and harmful exposures in populations.
These publications include characterizing the exposure of the U.S. population to more than 300 environmental chemicals; identifying lead in gasoline as a major source of human lead exposure; risk factors for coronary artery disease; first-time assessment of the exposure of the U.S. population to secondhand smoke; identifying the cause of the national outbreak of vaping-associated lung injury; anthrax diagnostic testing; botulism diagnostic testing; measurement of influenza vaccine dose; standardization of U.S. and international clinical laboratory measurements and multiple responses to public health emergencies.
Dr. Pirkle began to follow Jesus seriously at age 16 and is a longtime Christian teacher, currently teaching in Equipping the Saints at Skyland Church in Atlanta, Georgia. He and his wife, Helen, live just outside Atlanta, Georgia. They love spending time with their four children and their spouses, and especially enjoy their eight grandchildren.